Apparatus for curling hair



Oct. 22, 1963 N. J. EMBIRICOS APPARATUS FOR CURLING HAIR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 29. 1960 Oct. 22, 1963 J, EMQIRICQS 3,107,675

APPARATUS FOR CURLING HAIR Filed NOV. 29, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 8 g 45 F I Go 8. 57

I'l a 5 48 INVENTOR 54 NICOLE J EMBIRICOS BY %,M M

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,107,675 APPARATUS FOR CURLING HAIR Nicole J. Embiricos, 4 Academy St., Athens, Greece Filed Nov. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 72,498 i 3 Claims. (Cl. 13233) This invention relates to hair curling and aims to provide an improved method and apparatus for imparting a curl or wave to human hair.

The curling of human hair, as it has been practiced in the past, has involved clamping a lock of the hair to the outer surface of a cylindrical spindle, rotating the spindle to wind the lock thereon, enclosing the wound lock and spindle in a casing which is placed against the head and to which the spindle is locked to prevent premature reverse rotation thereof so that the lock will not be accidentally unwound, and holding the assembly in this position until the curl is set. Ordinarily a hot fluid such as steam or heated air is circulated through the casing to promote the setting of the curl. The apparatus which has been employed for hair curling in this manner is cumbersome and dilficult to use. Attempts have been made to simplify the hair winding operation somewhat by mounting the cylindrical spindle for rotation in its casing so that the hair could be wound on the encased spindle; but the winding apparatus and the means that have been required to pre vent the spindle from unwinding before the curl is set have introduced additional mechanical complications that have tended to defeat the purpose for which they were resorted to.

a I have discovered that it is possible to curl hair in a vastly simplified way and with apparatus that is not nearly so complicated or cumbersome as the apparatus used for hair curling in the past. The method that is employed in the' curling of hair in accordance with my invention comprises wrapping a lock of hair around the inner coils of an enclosed spiral form by entraining the lock in a current of air flowing around the'coils towards the axis of the spiral. The wrapped lock is held on the form until it is set by causing a current of air to flow over that lock toward the axis of the spiral form upon which the lock is wrapped.

Apparatus for curling hair in accordance with my in vention comprises a form having a mouth, an inner core, a plurality of coils spaced apart to provide a spiral passageway connecting the mouth with the core, and a pair of end plates fixed to the outer edges of the coils and provided with bores coinciding with the core. An exhaust manifold is mounted on the form to envelope the ends of its inner core. The form is preferably provided with a lip that extends across the form between its end plates to provide an inlet chamber having on open side adjacent the mouth of the spiral passageway. Conduits communicate with the exhaust manifold and the inlet chamber so that they may be connected, respectively, with the inlet port and exhaust of a suction fan-heater assembly.

Apparatus in the form that I now prefer to employ in the practice of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a hair curler and suction fan-heater assembly illustrating diagrammatically the circulation of air therethrough;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of the hair curler illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG.V3 is an isometric View of the hair curler illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a transverse section along the lines 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a transverse section along the lines 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a transverse section along the lines 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a front elevation of the suction fan-heater assembly;

FIG. 8 is a transverse section along the lines 8-8 of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary section along the lines 9-9 of FIG. 7. p

The apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a hair curling unit 16 and a suction fan-heater assembly 12. The arrows in FIG. 1 illustrate the circulatory system of the air flowing through the curler 10 and the relationship thereof to the suction fan-heater assembly 12.

The curler 13 is made of a light but rigid material such as a thin metal or plastic whose main body is in the form of a coiled spiral whose width may conveniently be of the order of 2 /4 in. The outer coil 14 provides the external casing of the curler 10 and the inner coils 15, 16 and 17 provide the form upon which a lock of hair is wound to impart a curl thereto. It will be appreciated that the number of coils, and their diameter, may be varied in accordance with the length of the hair that any particular curler is designed to treat. End plates 19, 19' are fixed to the outer edges of the coils 14, 15, 16 and 17 to form the side walls of spiral passageway 20 between coils 14, 15, 16 and 17. The inner coil 17 contains a central core 21 with which the spiral passageway 20 communicates. Each of end plates 19, 19' is provided with a bore 22 that coincides with central core 21. The outer end of coil 14 flares outwardly to provide a wide mouth 24 for passageway 20.

A convex sheet 26 whose edges are attached to the outer coil 14 opposite mouth 24 extends across the top of coil 14 with its ends projecting beyond the end plates 19, 19'. Cover plates 27, 27' extend from the ends of convex sheet 26 to end plates 19, 19' and have their ends 30, 30 attached to end plates 19, 19' at a point below the central core 21. Two pairs of gussets 32, 32' extend between end plates 19, 19 and the side edges of cover plates 27, 27 to provide an exhaust manifold 33 that communicates with central core 21 through its ends. A conduit 35 communicates with exhaust manifold 33.

A lip 37 whose inner end 38 is fixed to outer coil 14 extends across curler ll) between end plates 19, 19' and has an outer end 39 terminating at the entrance to mouth 24 to provide an inlet chamber 40 having an open side adjacent to the mouth 24. A conduit 41 communicates with inlet chamber 40.

The exhaust fan-heater assembly 12 is mounted in a housing 45. It includes an electric motor 46 which drives the fan 47 which is contained in casing 48. The casing 48 is mounted adjacent the front end of housing 45 and contains a central inlet port 50 and a passageway 51leading to an offset exhaust port 52. An electric resistance heating element 53 is located in the passageway 51. A relief valve 54 prevents the pressure of air in passageway 51 from becoming excessive. The rear end of housing 45 is closed by a l'ouvered end plate 56 connected with housing 45 as by means of latches 57. Housing 45 is supported 'on legs. 58 and is provided with handle 59 at its top. A manually operable switch controlled by a rotatable knob 61 projecting from the front of housing 45 permits the operator to turn the fan 47 on and off and to turn the heater 53 on and oft. A transverse partition 62 located adjacent a side of the fan-heater assembly provides a compartment, indicated at 63, for storing curler 10 when the curler is not in use. When curler 10 is in operation conduit 35 is connected through a flexible tube (not shown) with inlet port 50; and conduit 41 is connected through a flexible tube (not shown) with exhaust port 52.

The operation of the apparatus that I have described is as follows: Conduits 35 and 41 are connected, respectively, through flexible tubing with the inlet or suction port 59 and the outlet port 52 of fan 47. With the indicator on switch control 61 located at off position, the outer end of a lock of hair is placed in mouth 24. Switch control knob 61 is then turned to place the indicator at on position thus closing a switch (not shown) in the circuit of motor 46, connected in conventional manner to a source of electric current, to operate the fan. When the fan is in operation air is withdrawn from'curler 10 through conduit 35 and causing air to flow through passageway 20. The lock of hair placed in mouth 24 is entrained in the air that flows through passageway 24) causing that hair to be Wrapped around coils 15, 16' and After the hair has been wrapped around the coils knob 61 is rotated in a clockwise direction to place the indicator at the hot position, closing a switch (not shown) in the circuit of electric heater 53 without opening the circuit for motor 46. Thereafter air that is heated by heater 53 flows to curler 10 through conduit 41, around passageway 20, and is then exhausted from the curler through conduit 35. The heated air flowing through passageway 20 in this manner holds the hair in Wrapped position around coils 15, 16 and 17 and also supplies heat for setting the hair in the desired curl. After the curl has been set, knob 61 is rotated to return the indicator to off position at which point the switch in the circuit for motor 46 and the switch in the circuit for heater 53 are open. The curler may then be readily moved away from the head and the lock of hair that had been maintained in wrapped position around coils 15, 16 and 17 is released therefrom when the flow of air through passagewayZtl is stopped.

The terms that have been used in describing thepre- V ferred embodiment of my invention that is illustrated in the drawing are terms of description and not of limitation. It will be appreciated that various modifications maybe made in that embodiment without departing from the spirit of my invention as it is defined in the appended claims. For instance, the conduit 41 can include a connection to a reservoir for setting fluid which may be entrained in the air flowing to curler 10 through that conduit, and the port 52 may be provided with a valve so that mouth with said core, and a pair of end plates fixed to the outer edges of said coils and each having a bore coinciding with said core; an exhaust manifold communicating with said core, and an exhaust conduit communicating with said exhaust manifold; a lip extending across the form between the end plates to provide an inlet chamber having an open side adjacent to said mouth, and an inlet conduit communicating with said inlet chamber; and an exhaust fan, a flexible tube connecting the inlet port of said fan with said exhaust conduit, and a second flexible tube connecting the outlet of said exhaust fan with said inlet conduit.

2'. Apparatus for curling hair comprising: a form having a month, an inner core, a plurality of coils spaced apart to provide a spiral passageway connecting said mouth with said core, and a pair of end plates fixed to the outer edges of said coils and each having a bore coinciding with said core; an exhaust manifold communicating with said core, and an exhaust conduit communicating with said exhaust manifold; a lipextending across the form between the end plates to provide an inletchamher having an open side adjacent to said mouth, and an inlet conduit communicating with said inlet chamber; and an exhaust fan, a housing for said exhaust fan including an inlet port, an exhaust port and a passageway communicating with said exhaust port; a heater located in said passageway; and a flexible tube connecting said inlet port with said exhaust conduit, and a second flexible tube connecting said exhaust port with said inlet'conduit.

3. Apparatus for curling hair comprising: a form having a month, an inner core, a plurality of coils spaced apart to provide a spiral passageway connecting said mouth with said core, and a pair of end plates fixed to the outer edges of said coils and each having a bore cothe flow of air through that port is cut off when the hair 1 is initially wrapped around coils 15, 16 and 17' so that all of the air that then flows through passageway 20 enters that passageway through mouth24. Also, the edges of mouth 24 that come in contact with the head. when a lock of hair is fully wrapped around the curler coils 15, 16 and 17 may be provided with a soft padding to protect the user in the practice of my invention.

What I claim is:

i 1. Apparatus for curling hair comprising: a form having a month, an inner core, a plurality of coils spaced apart to provide a spiral passageway connecting said inciding withsaid core; an exhaust manifold mounted on said form to envelope the ends of the inner core, and an exhaust conduit communicating with, said exhaust manifold; a lip extending across the form between the end plates to provide an inlet chamber having an open side adjacent to said mouth, and an inlet conduit communieating with said inlet chamber; an exhaust fan, a housing for said exhaust fan including an inlet port, an exhaust port, and a passageway communicating with said exhaust port; a valve located in said passageway; and a flexible tube connecting said inlet port with said exhaust conduit, and a second flexible tube connecting said ex- I haust port with said inlet conduit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,847,704 Kirk Mar. 1, 1932 1,979,531 Conill Nov. 6, 1934. 2,791,225 Simmons May 7, 1957 

1. APPARATUS FOR CURLING HAIR COMPRISING: A FORM HAVING A MOUTH, AN INNER CORE, A PLURALITY OF COILS SPACED APART TO PROVIDE A SPIRAL PASSAGEWAY CONNECTING SAID MOUTH WITH SAID CORE, AND A PAIR OF END PLATES FIXED TO THE OUTER EDGES OF SAID COILS AND EACH HAVING A BORE COINCIDING WITH SAID CORE; AN EXHAUST MANIFOLD COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CORE, AND AN EXHAUST CONDUIT COMMUNICATING WITH SAID EXHAUST MANIFOLD; A LIP EXTENDING ACROSSS THE FORM BETWEEN THE END PLATES TO PROVIDE AN INLET CHAMBER HAVING AN OPEN SIDE ADJACENT TO SAID MOUTH, AND AN INLET CONDUIT COMMUNICATING WITH SAID INLET CHAMBER; AND AN EXHAUST FAN, A FLEXIBLE TUBE CONNECTING THE INLET PORT OF SAID FAN WITH SAID EXHAUST CONDUIT, AND A SECOND FLEXIBLE TUBE CONNECTING THE OUTLET OF SAID EXHAUST FAN WITH SAID INLET CONDUIT. 